Holding On
by Usami
Summary: /pre series/ "A good friend is a connection to life: a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world." Lois Wyse


To be honest, I had never even heard of _Swat Kats_ when I was little. I've only discovered the series recently on the Boomerang channel. Even then, it wasn't something I watched. The only reason I learned of its existence is because of my older sister. She was flipping through the channels and came across it, then called me and asked me to make a voice identification (a weird little hobby of mine). When I heard Razor's voice, I couldn't stop laughing, because he happened to voice a favorite turtle of mine in a show I watched when I was a kid (I'll let you figure out who).

After that, I only caught the show whenever I could, and only because I wanted to hear Razor's voice. I thought it was kind of funny that both Razor and above-mentioned turtle were both considered the brains of their respective teams, and I found myself liking Razor a little more each time I saw him. What really hooked me onto the show, though, was Jake and Chance's friendship. I'm a sucker for close friends like them. Before I knew it, I was watching episodes and music videos about them online, reading fanfics about them, and then...well, here I am.

So yeah. My first (and probably only) _Swat Kats_ story. Hope it turns out okay. Please enjoy!

**Holding On**

"Hey Chance?"

"Hmm…?"

"Pass me the socket wrench, will ya?"

"Hmm…"

A few seconds passed, but still nothing happened. Reaching up, Jake slowly pulled himself from under the car he was working on just enough to see his partner still sitting where he was, balancing the very tool he needed on his nose. Rolling his eyes, he pulled himself out and got to his feet, crossing the distance and snatching the wrench from the other.

"Hey!" the blond tabby protested.

"Nice to see ya workin'," Jake retorted. Chance glared at him, but said nothing as he leaned against the wall, folding his arms behind his head.

The ginger kat sighed. "You gonna keep mopin' around all the time, Chance?"

"Unless you got any better ideas."

Going back to the vehicle, Jake crawled under it to continue working. "Think you can manage some more house repairs?"

Chance's eyes wandered around the abandoned station they found in the salvage yard weeks ago, shortly after being kicked out of the Enforcers. The place had been falling apart due to years of neglect, but even with all the repairs they put into it there was a lot more work to be done. They found that out the hard way when the rainstorm hit a few hours ago; some of the buckets on the floor were threatening to overflow.

The bigger tabby crossed his arms. "Anything else?"

The ratchet sound under the vehicle paused briefly before resuming again. "How about helpin' me repair this car? I think the engine needs to be looked at."

Chance watched his partner working on the rundown car. It was all the business they'd received since opening up the garage so far, but he seriously doubted that it would ever run again. "I'm a pilot, Jake, not a mechanic."

"Well, you're one now," Jake reminded him. "And I seem to remember back at Enforcer Academy that recruits had to know how to patch up an engine in case of emergencies."

Chance scowled at the name. "_Jet_ engines, Jake."

"Yeah, jet engines…plus helicopter and patrol vehicle engines. We had to be familiar with all of 'em. And y'know, car engines are all pretty similar."

For that, Chance had no answer. He focused his attention to the water in the closest bucket, watching the stream that poured into the tin.

Pulling himself out from under the car again, Jake sat up to look at his sulking friend. "C'mon, Buddy," he said. "We said that we'd get this running by tomorrow."

"_You_ said it," Chance corrected, jumping off his stool.

"It's our first real job," the ginger kat continued, "and if we can get it running then it'll really help promote our work."

"And what work is that, Jake?" Chance shot back. "Fixin' cars? Watchin' over crap? We should be out there!" His paw shot up and motioned to the ceiling. "We should be up in the air, _helping_ people! Not tinkering away in some shack!"

"We _are_ helpin' people, Chance," Jake answered calmly. "It's just on a much smaller scale, that's all. Besides," he added as he crawled back under the car, "once we gather enough material, we'll be back up in the air in no time."

The bigger tabby could hear the crafty tone in his partner's voice, and he knew Jake was once again referring to the jet they were going to build from parts in the yard. When the smaller kat first suggested it weeks ago, it seemed like such an awesome idea, and he was excited about it. But the recent disappointments forced him to see reality.

"You really think we can pull it off?" Chance wondered.

"Affirmative," Jake replied confidently. "I've scoped out some of the stuff in the yard, and a lot of things are in surprisingly good condition."

Chance knew that his friend was smart, but smart enough to build a jet from junk? He couldn't help the bit of doubt that snuck into his mind. But there was still a bigger problem that was bugging him. "Where're we gonna put it?"

The metallic clanging under the vehicle suddenly stopped, and Chance watched the ginger tail in front of him twitch. He didn't have to look at the other's face to know he was thinking hard, trying to come up with an answer.

"I mean," Chance continued, "I'm pretty sure Feral's bound to notice a whole _jet_ in the salvage yard. Not even Burke and Murray are _that_ stupid."

"Well, we'll think of somethin'," Jake said. "It'll all work out."

"How can you be so sure?"

There was no answer, just the sound of metal hitting concrete as Jake reached for another tool. Chance sighed, about to walk over and help fix the car when he felt something land on his head. He looked up just in time to catch a drop of water in his eye.

"Aw, crud!" he growled.

Jake pulled himself out from under the car once more to see his friend climb up on the stool to inspect the ceiling. "Another leak?"

"Yeah…" the blond tabby grumbled, jabbing at the crack in the ceiling with his finger. He jumped off the stool. "We'll have to pick up some stuff to fix all these cracks tomorrow."

The slim kat shook his head. "No can do, Buddy. We've already spent most of our budget for the week. The rest of it's for food."

Chance kicked the stool. "How the heck are we supposed to live like this?!"

Jake's ears twitched as the stool clattered against the ground. "That's why we gotta get this runnin' by tomorrow. The money we get from fixin' cars should help a little."

"A _little_," Chance retorted, running his fingers through the fur on top of his head. "It's days like this when I almost wish I never opened my big mouth to Feral."

The ginger tabby grinned a little, getting to his feet and stretching his lithe body. "Yeah, well you did," he answered. "And now we're both stuck here until we pay off our debt."

Sighing in agitation, Chance then turned sharply toward his partner. "What did you just say?"

Amber eyes filled with confusion as Jake noted the sudden change in his friend. "That we're both stuck here till we pay our debt? That's not exactly new information, Chance."

The bigger kat just stared at him, his mouth open to speak but no words coming out. Running his fingers through his fur again, he finally muttered, "I need to take a walk."

"Right now?" Jake asked as his friend headed for the door. "But it's pourin' outside! Chance!" Before he could stop the other, Chance disappeared against the murky darkness of the storm.

* * *

Chance sneezed, trying in vain to ignore the rain that beat against his body as he wandered aimlessly about the salvage yard. He wasn't sure how long he'd been out since the storm clouds hid any trace of daylight. It had probably been a few hours at least; he could feel the chill soak through his fur and into his bones. And no doubt Jake was wondering where he was. He should probably think about heading back to the garage.

But even though he could see the faint glow from the garage in the distance, he couldn't bring himself to go back yet. Not after everything he realized.

_Yeah, well you did. And now we're both stuck here until we pay off our debt._

Jake's tone had been far from accusing. The comment was meant to be nothing more than a playful remark. But Chance couldn't stop thinking about it. The day that they were discharged from the Enforcers constantly replayed in his mind, and he finally understood just how much trouble he was to his partner.

Though truthfully, it wasn't a new revelation. Even back when they first met, Chance caused some difficulties for Jake. At the Enforcer Academy, the two of them were often paired together since they were some of the youngest recruits. Though Chance suspected that the true reason they were usually matched up was to balance his reckless hot head with Jake's more passive practicality. Still, he was offended by the idea of working with someone two years younger than he was. During their training, he spent more time _competing_ with Jake than _cooperating_ with him.

The more time they spent together, however, the more Chance was actually impressed with the slim tabby. Though Jake was smaller and was somewhat shy back then, he had no problems meeting the struggles he was put through during one of their contests. And the bigger kat was actually surprised by how well he was able to keep up with him. Of course, Chance would never admit it, and he kept trying to beat Jake during their little bouts. But in a way, Jake had pushed him past his limits and helped him achieve more, helped him improve himself. Eventually, their rivalry became less hostile (especially on Chance's part) and turned much friendlier.

But what really amazed Chance was his partner's amazing shot. Even in the beginning, Jake could hit almost any target dead on, stationary or moving. But during their first aerial simulation, he was able to see just how skilled his partner was. Once he was used to the way Chance 'flew' the jet, he had no problem nailing his mark. His skills were easily recognized by their superiors, who often stated how difficult it was to train someone as a weapon systems operator due to the field's demanding conditions, let alone find one with such a natural talent.

And Jake definitely had a natural talent.

Between Jake's accurate aim and Chance's agile piloting, the two were the best at the Academy – at least in Chance's mind. They both certainly received a lot of acknowledgment for their abilities, both from their superiors and their peers. And as partners, they both shared the praise that was given to them for their skills.

Unfortunately, the two also had to share the blame for each other's action. And Chance's temper led to a lot of disagreements with Commander Feral. Jake, the calmer one between the two of them, often had to jump in to keep him from getting into deeper trouble, but still had to undergo the same punishment for his rebelliousness. Chance thought it was a little unfair, but as a team they were responsible for each other.

Except Feral took it too far this time. Even if they were partners who were supposed to share responsibility, Chance couldn't allow things to stay as they were now. Because he was the _only_ one to blame for the accident, not Jake. It was all _his _fault that they were kicked off the force.

During their partnership, both Chance and Jake picked up qualities from each other. While Jake learned to be more outgoing and assertive, Chance learned to be calmer and more reasonable. But even though Jake helped him control his temper, it was hard not to talk back to Feral when he believed he was right. And he _was_ right that day. They had a lock on Dark Kat, and they could have taken him down if Feral hadn't interfered. If the commander was going to kick him off for disobeying and telling him who was right, then fine.

But _Jake_ hadn't done anything wrong. _Jake_ hadn't said anything to anger Feral. And he was still discharged along with Chance.

Chance spent a lot of time complaining about Feral, and Jake listened. But though he'd learned to be less shy during their friendship, Jake was still somewhat withdrawn. And Chance wasn't really sure how his partner felt about being discharged. Mostly the slim kat kept himself busy; looking through the yard at parts for the jet they'd build, making plans to fix up the garage, developing ideas to promote their new mechanics business…

Looking back at the past few weeks, Chance realized just how much Jake was doing for him. All the work Jake was putting in was for both of them, really, but the blond tabby never noticed before just how much it affected him. With all his complaining, Chance never noticed how much Jake really helped him through the whole ordeal. How the smaller kat patiently listened while he vented his anger, how he tried to improve their situation by fixing up their new home and adding the mechanics job to help pay off their debt…how Jake gave him hope with the promise of getting back in the air. He knew he would have fallen apart a long time ago had it not been for his friend.

Jake did so much for him. And what has he done in return?

Nothing yet, he admitted. But Chance had an idea to fix that. And though he didn't know how he'd handle this mess without his best friend by his side, it was only fair after all the trouble he'd been put through. First, though, he had to find something out.

He had to ask the question he should have asked a long time ago.

Inhaling deeply, the blond kat then let it out with a slow sigh, bracing himself for the conversation he didn't really want to have. Gathering his resolve, he finally made his way back to the garage.

The first thing Chance noticed as he stepped inside was that it wasn't any warmer than it was out in the yard, though he was glad to get out of the rain. Then he saw that the car's hood was popped up, and the ginger tail twitched as Jake worked on the engine.

As he thought about ways to bring up the topic, he heard his partner's muffled voice from inside the engine compartment. "Have a nice walk, Buddy?"

"Not bad," Chance replied, wondering how Jake knew he was there.

The slim kat pulled himself out from the compartment, taking a rag from his back pocket and wiping his paws as he looked at the other. "You look like something the dog dragged in," he remarked with a small chuckle. Turning to the work table beside him, he grabbed a ready towel and tossed it over to his friend.

Catching the cloth, Chance ruffled his fur to dry his head. He still wasn't sure how to carefully bring up the matter. Maybe it would be better to just jump into it…

Jake leaned against the car and watched his partner for a moment with a small grin on his face. When the towel came off the blond head and rested on the shoulders, the slim kat said, "When you're finished dryin' off, there's somethin' I wanna show ya –"

"Do you miss being an Enforcer, Jake?" Chance suddenly interjected.

Amber eyes widened, staring at the other. "What?"

The blond kat didn't answer and simply slid his paws into his pockets. He knew Jake heard the question, and he didn't feel like repeating it.

Watching his partner for a moment longer, Jake frowned and crossed his arms. "What's with you all of a sudden?" he wondered.

Chance shrugged, rubbing the towel against his neck. "I just wanted to know."

The ginger tabby's eyes narrowed with doubt. There was something the other wasn't telling him. But he decided to go along with it for now; he'd find out what Chance was up to sooner or later. "You want the truth?"

Blond ears twitched. He didn't know if he could take the truth. But he nodded anyway. "Yeah."

Jake sighed, his tail swishing behind him as he thought of the right words to say. "I think…" he began slowly, "that we were unfairly dismissed from the Enforcers. But do I miss being one?" He shook his head. "Not really."

"You sure?" Chance pressed.

The smaller kat pushed himself away from the car and took a step toward his partner. "What's this really about, Chance?"

Chance tugged at the towel with both paws. "I just think it wasn't fair that both of us were kicked off."

A curious brow was raised. The comment could mean two different things, so Jake decided to be careful. "But we're partners, remember? We share credit and criticism because we're a team."

Chance shook his head. "Feral still went too far. _You_ didn't do anything. He shouldn't have booted you out too."

Understanding finally dawned on Jake. "You think all of this is your fault…"

"Because it is," the bigger kat replied. "_I _was the one flyin' the jet, so _I_ was the one who disobeyed Feral's orders. And _I _was the one who got him mad and got both of us kicked out, even though _I _should've been the only one to go."

The ginger tabby focused his eyes on the ground, turning his next words over in his mind. With a small smirk, he finally retorted, "You can't take all the glory for it, y'know. I'm just as guilty as you are."

Green eyes looked at the smaller kat questioningly. "No way. You didn't do or say anything –"

"And _that_," Jake interrupted, "is exactly why it's my fault too."

Chance's brow furrowed in confusion. "What're ya talkin' about?"

"You remember how Feral told you to back down, and you didn't because we already had a lock on Dark Kat?"

"Yeah…What about it?"

"Would you have listened if _I _told you to back off?"

Chance blinked. He'd never really thought about it before. "Well…yeah, probably."

"But I never did, did I?" Jake continued. "If I had told you to let Feral handle it, maybe things wouldn't have turned out as they did. But I didn't say anything, because I wanted to nail Dark Kat just as much as you did. That makes me just as responsible as you are. Besides," he added with a shrug, "when Feral told us we were off the force, I was the first one to walk away, remember?"

Chance actually had forgotten. Thinking back now, though, he remembered that his partner was the first to comment when they were discharged. 'Suits us,' the other had said. But even though Jake had said it, he didn't have to mean it.

"You really don't mind that you're not an Enforcer anymore?" he tested. He needed to be sure. "You don't care that you were canned because of what _I _said?"

Jake shook his head. "If I hadn't been kicked out and you had, I still would have walked away."

"Really?" Chance asked. "Why?"

A smirk crossed the ginger tabby's features. "It wouldn't have been as much fun causin' trouble at HQ without ya."

The bigger kat couldn't help but smile a little. Jake was never one to cause trouble, least not until Chance got him to loosen up a bit. He knew what his partner – his _friend_ – really meant. "Thanks, Buddy."

Jake nodded, the smile never leaving his face. "If you're done now," he piped up, "there's somethin' you gotta see."

Chance curiously followed the other into the station's office where they had set up an old couch and a small television set to serve as a living room. Besides the couch was the fridge, leading into the small kitchen. The space between the fridge and kitchen, however, was disrupted by the railing that fenced off the lower storage room, accessible by the small steps. That was where Jake led him, and Chance proceeded hesitantly. Neither of them had ever gone into the storage room before; uncertain of what they would find there, they agreed to wait until things were more set up before poking around and cleaning that room (mostly because Chance didn't want to know what kind of _bugs_ were living there).

There was a half-full bucket of water placed in front of the storage room door, catching the stream that poured into it. But judging by the soaked paper towels around it, Chance knew it was already emptied before. He watched, bemused as Jake moved the bucket and the paper towels before opening the door. As it did, Chance's eyes widened.

The storage room was much bigger than he expected it to be, about the size of a small bathroom. And it was surprisingly empty save for a few boxes along the back wall. But what really caught his attention was the trail of water that led to the circular sewer-like covering in the center of the floor.

He tore his gaze away from the metal door when Jake entered the storage room, walking to the back wall and reaching into one of the boxes. The ginger kat pulled out two flashlights and tossed one at him. He caught it and then watched as his partner knelt by the metal door and slid two fingers into a small hole in the hatch, pulling it up and revealing an opening with a ladder that led down. Slowly the blond tabby approached the center, peering down into the darkness.

"What _is_ that?" Chance finally asked.

Jake smirked, flipping on his flashlight. "Come and see for yourself," he answered as he proceeded down the ladder. Chance stood and watched as his friend disappeared down the hole, lingering for a moment longer. Then he switched his own flashlight on, reluctantly heading down the ladder after the other.

Once he reached the bottom, he looked up the ladder at the opening; it wasn't as far as he thought it would be. He then turned around and moved the flashlight's beam across the space before him, cutting through the darkness to make sense of where he was. But while the beam only revealed a little at a time, his eyes grew wide.

"Is this…?" he began.

"Affirmative," Jake replied, stepping away from him and down some stairs into the open space. "It's a hangar. The perfect place to keep a jet."

Chance followed the other, a grin lighting his face as the flashlight showed him the hangar's potential. "But…how?"

"Well, this _is_ Enforcer property. I'm guessin' this station used to be a hidden place for vehicles to get a quick fix-up in case of an emergency. But I suppose it was just quicker to dump things here instead of waitin' around to fix 'em. When the station was abandoned, things just kept pilin' up."

"This place is _huge_!" Chance exclaimed, his voice echoing in the empty darkness around them. "It's perfect!"

Jake shrugged, the beam of his flashlight settling on neglected machinery. "Well, it definitely needs some work before we can use it. But I think we'll manage."

Chance continued to walk around, wishing his flashlight was bigger so he could see more of the hangar. As the light settled on a nearby wall, however, he stopped and looked at it curiously. Slowly he shone the flashlight over the paper that hung there, trying to make out the drawing.

Stepping up to stand next to him, Jake offered the beam of his flashlight so the drawing would be more visible. Chance studied it for a moment before his eyes grew larger than ever, and he faced his best friend. The ginger tabby met his gaze with a small grin.

"It was supposed to be a surprise until I finished it," the slim kat began. "But you've been pretty down, so I thought maybe it'd cheer you up."

Chance returned his attention back to the illustration, walking up to it to inspect it closer. "This…is your design for the jet?" he breathed.

"It's not done yet, obviously. But like I said, I thought it might help cheer you up. Besides, it would be a lot better if we both worked on it. Doncha think, Partner?"

Even if it wasn't complete, Chance could hear the roar of its engines, and feel its speed as it cut through the sky. His tail swished wildly as he thought about what it would be like to get back in the air. And this time, he knew it was more than just an idea. He turned back to the smaller kat, a large grin spread on his face. He grasped the other's waiting paw. "Buddy, you are the _best_!"

"I try," Jake replied smugly, though his shy smile gave him away.

Just as Jake promised, they were really going to pull it off. Everything was working out. The blond tabby wasn't sure how, but his friend was right. "But honestly," he said as he released the other's paw, "thanks Jake. I mean, what would I do without ya?"

The ginger kat shrugged. "Go outta your mind, probably."

Chance wanted to give a witty retort, but a sneeze interrupted him.

Jake shook his head before ushering the other back towards the ladder. "All right. We better get you changed, because if you get sick and make me do all this work by myself, I'm gonna kill you."

* * *

Chance sighed, scratching the top of his head as he stared at the engine. He needed to get this done, and he knew he was getting close. Biting his tongue thoughtfully, he tried to remember the types of engines they learned back at the Academy. Then an idea came to him, and he reached back into the engine compartment.

It was really a boring job, and normally it wasn't something he'd bother with. But Jake had come up with the idea. And after everything his friend had done for him, the least he could do was pitch in like he was supposed to.

Reaching in again, he carefully tightened a bolt to secure the motor. Pulling himself out of the compartment, he tossed his wrench onto the work table and grabbed the rag in his back pocket, wiping the grease off his paws.

"Thought you said you weren't a mechanic."

The blond tabby shrugged, his green eyes drifting to where Jake stood watching him. "Just for now," he replied. With a grin, he added, "But we said we'd get this car runnin' today, and _you_ weren't getting that done any time soon."

The slim kat didn't answer. He walked around and stood at the driver's door. "How long have you been up?"

Chance shrugged again. "Dunno. A few hours, I guess." He smiled as he looked outside. "The rain finally stopped."

Jake glanced outside. "So I noticed." Turning back to the other, he asked, "So how's the engine?"

Taking one last glance at it, Chance then grabbed a key off the work table. "Only one way to find out." He tossed the key to Jake.

Sliding into the car, the ginger kat turned the ignition. At first the engine stalled, its gears grating against each other in protest. But just as the other was about to give the car's grill a swift kick, he turned the ignition again and was rewarded when the engine hummed to life.

With a smile, Jake looked over the steering wheel and answered Chance's stunned expression with a satisfied, "Bingo."

**The End**


End file.
